Breeding

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Breeding

Leopard geckos are easy to breed under the right conditions. Females need to be at least 50 grams and males should be at least 45 grams.

Introductions

Notice how the male is biting the female to start the breeding. This is perfectly normal (Johnson).

After the tail biting, the scene can quickly turn into this picture (Johnson).

This is a picture of a male cleaning himself (Johnson).

There are a few different methods to introducing the male with the female(s). The first method is to put the female in the male's tank. Another is to put the male into to female's tank. Either method works.

When the male is ready to breed, he will make a buzzing noise with the end of his tail and then bite the female. The female will either allow him to proceed or she will tell him she is not ready. If the female does not want to mate she will usually bite back or run away; she may also wave her tail in the air.

After the male is done with the female, he will turn to clean himself. This should take no longer than 10 minutes. While doing this, he should not be disturbed. After he is finished cleaning himself, make sure his hemi-penis retracts. If it does not, you might be dealing with a prolapse.

Egg Laying

The gestation period for the eggs is about two to five weeks. If the female has not laid her eggs in the given time frame, it is possible she could be egg bound. Please contact your local Reptile Vet if this is the case.

Females will generally lay clutches of two eggs. Rarely clutches of three eggs will be laid. Most first-time females will lay single-egg clutches. The number of clutches each female will lay depends on the female. Many first time breeders will not be as productive as proven breeders.

Fertility

Although Leopard Geckos can retain sperm, to maximize the fertility of the eggs, it is best to reintroduce the male to the female once every two to three clutches if the male and female(s) are being housed separately.

Breeder Care

To make sure your breeding geckos are getting the proper nutrients, you should always gut load your feeders so your geckos get the proper vitamins. It is also important to dust the feeders with calcium powder to help with egg production and prevent MBD in laying females.